The focus of the Bachelor of Science in Health Science program is to provide a comprehensive health science education to undergraduate students. As a pre-professional program, it is designed to provide the foundational degree for those wishing to pursue graduate education in the pure or applied health sciences or in the health professions, such as medicine, nursing, or pharmacy. For those students who do not go on to graduate study, opportunities exist for positions in the biological, life, and health sciences. Example positions include Food Scientist and Technologist, Biological Scientist and Technician and Chemist and Material Scientist.

The program curriculum provides a comprehensive undergraduate educational foundation through course offerings in the arts and sciences, with a focus on the health sciences. Course offerings are designed to fulfill prerequisites for admission into graduate programs in the pure and applied health sciences and the health professions, as well as for entry level careers in the health sciences.

Graduates will have a variety of choices for future education or careers in keeping with the goals of our program.

1. The program seeks to assist and support students in developing and carrying out an education and career plan based on an understanding of the demanding requirements for health science education and for a successful career in the health sciences or health professions.
2. The program seeks to prepare students to be successful candidates for admission into professional (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, health sciences) and graduate (M.S., Ph.D.) degree programs in the health sciences domain. The undergraduate curriculum offers the first exposure into a future of being a health care provider and scientist.
3. The program seeks to provide students with the academic knowledge, skills and tools to enable them to be successful in graduate program studies.
4. The program seeks to prepare students to meet expectations for self-directed and lifelong learning and ongoing self-assessment.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be able to:

• explain and apply principles of the basic sciences, including biology, chemistry, and physics
• explain and apply principles of the health sciences, including genomics, anatomy and physiology, and pathophysiology
• describe concepts of the liberal arts, including the humanities and social sciences
• explain and reconstruct the scientific method and apply this mode of inquiry
• demonstrate leadership, organizational, and teamwork skills
• apply, critique, and synthesize the current literature
• demonstrate and critique effective written and oral communication skills
• formulate and conduct a research methodology, including data collection and analysis
• describe the health care system and its affects on public policy and society
• explain and apply administrative and management principles to the health care system
• list expectations for professional and ethical behavior of health care providers and organizations
• identify, provide examples, differentiate, and integrate principles of the basic and health sciences into scientific investigations

It is important to remember that completion of any undergraduate program does not guarantee successful admission into or completion of professional and scientific graduate degree programs.

Admission to graduate degree programs is competitive and typically based upon a combination of requirements that includes cumulative grade point average, program-specific admission tests, letters of recommendation and, in some cases, related experience outside the classroom. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the graduate degree program for current information regarding requirements and application deadlines.